


Cause and Effect (2006)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Anal Sex, Cruelty, First Time, Infatuation, Lust, M/M, Mental Instability, Near Future, Neediness, Obsession, Roughness, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-29
Updated: 2006-08-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 19:00:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1560719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every action, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has a consequence that must be paid…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"It's time, Kaiba-sama."

Isono's voice sounded distant as the brunet held the telephone to his ear. Maybe it was just him – this whole situation just felt far too surreal. With a grunted, "Fine," the brunet got to his feet and headed over to the stainless steel coat rack that stood in the corner of his office. Wordlessly, he slipped the long, black wool trench coat on over his suit, and then picked up his attaché case from the corner of his desk. As he did so, he cast a glance down at the small desk calendar. The month was entirely blank, except for the single, red `X' marking the current day – May 23rd. Kaiba scowled at the tiny mark, as if it alone was the reason for all his angst. It had been three years now, and every single day had eaten at him as it had passed. With luck, today would be the day he'd finally find his escape from the suffocating grasp time had over him. 

Growling a curt, "Out for the day," to his secretary, he rode the elevator down to the lobby. His eyes were glacial, his lips were pressed into a thin line, and his arms were folded loosely across his chest as he glared churlishly at the black glass panelling of the car. He could see his reflection, and that pissed him off even more because it brought back memories he'd just as soon forget. Now twenty-one, time had been exceedingly good to him. He had grown slightly broader in the shoulders, although he was still rather lithe and slender. And his facial features had developed an angular sharpness to them that made him appear that much more intimidating. He sneered at himself, snatching his briefcase from the floor as the tone sounded, indicating that he'd reached his floor. As he stepped out, he could feel the eyes of the women gathered around the reception desk upon him, and he snorted contemptuously. He had no use for flattery or compliments – all they did was remind him of what had happened. Striding imperiously through the revolving glass door, he headed out to the sidewalk where Isono, and his car, were waiting for him.

"We should make it plenty of time, Sir," Isono said as he held the door open for the other.

"I'm going alone," Kaiba replied as he set his briefcase on the seat and gracefully slid inside. 

"But Sir, I really think –"

"I _said_ I'm going alone!" the brunet snapped heatedly as he slammed the door. For several moments he sat in silence in the cool interior of the vehicle, trying to stave off the headache he knew was only going to get worse. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he lightly massaged his temples. It wouldn't be much longer now. Soon, things would be back to normal, and he could put all this unpleasantness behind him. Reaching over, he pressed the intercom button with his index finger and said one word:

"Courthouse."


	2. Cause

"You know what, Jou? That movie was for shit!" Mokuba exclaimed to the tall blond at his side.

"Mokuba!" Jounouchi couldn't keep the snicker from his voice or the sparkle from his eyes as he tried to sound affronted. "Your brother will _so_ kick my ass if he ever hears you say that!"

"Yeah, well, what Seto doesn't know won't hurt either of us," the raven-haired boy replied with an impudent smirk. "Besides, he's the one who, first of all, gave me permission to go, and second of all, is late picking me up. So he really has no one to blame for my bad behaviour other than himself."

At that, the blond really did laugh as he reached over and ruffled Mokuba's hair. "True that. And yeah, you're right. That movie was for shit. God, I'm never going to hang with the guys again if Ryou's going to keep picking that froufrou intellectual crap for us to watch. `Oh, the protagonist's struggle is a metaphor to the generally grim state of the human condition'," Jou mimicked in his best Ryou-voice. "Give me guns, explosions and violence any day!" He grinned at the younger male, and then fell into silent contemplation. 

Truth be told, he had actually been quite surprised when the elder Kaiba had told Mokuba that he could attend Yugi's little `welcome back to school' soirée. The evening had consisted of a trip to the video store, a lot of pizza, and even greater quantities of candy, and then movies in the spike-haired teen's living room. Jou supposed it was a testament to how much Kaiba had really grown to trust them in the years they'd all known each other – even though the stoic brunet would never openly admit to it. And, when everyone had been getting ready to head home, Jou had offered to walk with Mokuba to KaibaCorp, as his brother was still there, working late. After all, the blond really had nothing better to do, and had no great desire to return to his apartment and, more importantly, his father.

So, Mokuba had called his older sibling to tell him what was going on, and upon hearing that Jounouchi would be accompanying him, the brunet had immediately given Mokuba an exact route to follow. He had then growled out some snarky comment about meeting them part way since Jou was obviously directionally challenged and lacking mentally. Of course, Mokuba had been kind enough to simply tell the blond that his brother was alright with that arrangement, and the two had headed out.

They rounded a corner and found themselves on a street that skirted one of the seedier areas of Domino. Apparently, Kaiba, in his quest for finding the most efficient route possible, had not actually considered exactly _where_ they would be heading. Jounouchi gave a noticeable shiver in the warm, September air, and gripping onto the elbow of Mokuba's jacket, he murmured, "Come on…I don't want you in this part of town any longer than you have to be, ne?"

"Why? What's wrong with it?" Mokuba asked as he looked around. Some of the buildings were a little older, but they appeared to be in good repair and had reasonably well tended yards.

"Let's just say appearances can be deceiving…It's not as homey as it looks." Without another word, Jounouchi lengthened his stride, wanting nothing more than to get off of this street as soon as possible. It would be bad if someone he knew saw him; it would be even worse if –

"Where're you going in such a rush, Boy?" a deep voice rasped from the alley.

` _Fuck!_ ' Jou froze in his tracks, visibly cringing at the sound. With one hand, he put himself between the alleyway and Mokuba, turning just in time to see a large, stocky blond man with a very similar hairstyle to his own coming out of the darkness and zipping up his jeans. Obviously, the elder Jounouchi was a fan of the adage, `When you've got to go, you've got to go'. "Mokuba, get out of here," Jounouchi hissed as he gave the raven-haired boy a nudge, a slight hint of panic in his voice.

"What's the matter, Boy? Now that your old man's caught you with your little fuck toy, you're too embarrassed to introduce us? Hell, maybe I'd like a piece of that action," the older man said, giving Mokuba a perverted leer as he smiled wolfishly.

"That's your _dad_?" Mokuba blurted, immediately wishing he hadn't when the older man's expression suddenly turned angry.

"What the fuck's that supposed to mean?" the senior Jounouchi demanded. "I'm being insulted by some snot nosed little come catcher who thinks he's better than me?" He took a menacing step toward the two of them, and Jou instinctively backed up a pace, still keeping Mokuba out of his father's reach. Glowering at his son, the elder man growled, "You'd better move, Boy, or you'll get ten times worse than this little twat. I'm going to teach him to respect his better!" Levelling his gaze at Mokuba, he snarled, "Just who the fuck do you think you are?"

"He's my brother," a sensual tenor purred. "And if you lay one finger on him, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your sad, pathetic life. Better men than you have been brought down for much less." Three sets of eyes snapped over to see Kaiba standing on the side of the road, leaning slightly against the rear quarter panel of his black limo, a nasty smile on his face.

"I see the family resemblance right away, Jounouchi," Kaiba sneered quietly in the blond's ear as he approached him and Mokuba. "Take a good, long look – that will be you in twenty years." The brunet's words cut deep, as they had been meant to. Turning to the elder man, he threw a handful of bills at him and drawled, "Here…I'm sure that should be sufficient to ensure a good night with the other loser booze hounds you know." Grabbing onto Mokuba's shoulders, he led the young boy toward the waiting car.

Jounouchi's face couldn't have turned any more red from embarrassment as his father immediately dropped to his knees and began scrabbling along the ground for any wayward currency. His eyes burning in humiliation, both from Kaiba's words and actions, he turned away to keep on walking, only to feel a meaty hand clamp onto his shoulder. Suddenly, all of the colour drained from Jou's face.

"Where the fuck are you going? We're not done, Boy." The elder Jounouchi whirled his son around and stared hatefully into his eyes. "I bet you think that was pretty fucking funny, what your little slut's brother did, ne?"

"Dad, it's not like that at all!" Jounouchi replied, a note of panic in his voice. "We're just friends; Nothing more!"

"Don't you fucking lie to me!" the elder man shouted as he slapped the younger blond hard across the cheek. "The only reason anyone would want to hang around you is if you were putting it to `em. Otherwise, you're fucking worthless. And I don't know how many times I've told you about disrespecting me. Next time I tell you to fucking move out of my way, you'd God damned well better do it!"

Mokuba paused at the curb, turning his storm-grey eyes to his brother. "Nii-sama, you've got to help him," he pleaded.

"I don't have to do _anything_ , Mokuba," Kaiba retorted, trying to usher the protesting boy into the car. "Besides, Jounouchi's a big boy. He knows how to fight, and he can take care of himself." The brunet knew this first hand, having come to fisticuffs with the blond on countless occasions. He heard a resounding crack, and when he glanced over his shoulder, his sapphire eyes widened, and then narrowed. The senior Jounouchi had just landed a very hard right to the younger's jaw, and the smaller blond was currently partially hunched over, spitting copious amounts of blood onto the sidewalk.

"Seto, _please_!"

"Shit… _fine_ ," Kaiba said irritably as he turned on his heel. Grabbing Jounouchi by the collar of his jacket, he hissed, "Get in the car…and try not to bleed all over everything." Giving him a shove to where Mokuba was waiting for him, he turned his attention back to the older man. "Whatever you were planning, it's over now."

"He's my son, and I'll do whatever the hell I want to him. You shouldn't have gotten involved in this, pretty boy," the larger man said, a cold laugh rumbling in his throat.

"No, I quite agree," Kaiba replied. "Yet, here I am."

"Hn…then you're pretty fucking stupid. I hope my faggot son is worth it, for whatever sick shit you and him and that sweet piece of ass you call a brother do."

"Again, you demonstrate just how base you really are. I'm not here to argue with you, and I'm not going to let you assault an idiot who won't fight back. I've got better things to do than to listen to the drunken ravings of a jackass, and quite frankly, you're beginning to bore the hell out of me." He turned his back on the other and started to walk away.

There was a sound of shuffling feet as the senior Jounouchi made a lunge for Kaiba, but before he could land his first punch, the brunet had rounded on him and now had him by the throat and pinned against a brick wall, his eyes sparking with limitless fury. 

"You stupid, stupid man," Kaiba sneered, his lips twisting up into a cruel smirk at the look of panic on the other's face. "You couldn't just let it go, could you? _No one_ threatens me." When the blond's only reply was to spit on the brunet's lapel, Kaiba lost it. Showing a ferocity befitting his moniker of `dragon', he fought the other with a brutal ruthlessness, the entire exchange lasting less than a minute. When the dust had settled, the older man was bleeding quite profusely on the sidewalk, barely conscious. "You're fortunate that I'll at least call an ambulance for you. It's more than you deserve, you worthless piece of street filth." Stepping deliberately on the man's hand and crushing two of his fingers as he turned to leave, Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he saw both Jounouchi and Mokuba staring at him. His brother's expression was fairly blasé – he'd witnessed such things on countless occasions and knew it came with the title the brunet carried. Jounouchi, on the other hand, was gazing at him with an expression that bordered on stunned awe.

"Jesus Christ, Kaiba! You beat the piss out of him!"

The brunet scowled as he climbed into the car. "Again, you amaze me with your mastery of the language and ability to overstate the obvious," he said with a derisive snort as he roughly grasped the blond's chin in his hand and examined the injury. "It doesn't look like there's any serious damage; ice it, and you'll be fine. Now, where can I drop you off so I can get the hell rid of you and go home?"

"Uh, I just live in the apartment complex over on 7th Street," Jounouchi replied as he sat back in his seat, watching the other quietly. After a moment, he gave the brunet a small smile. "Thanks, Kaiba."

"Don't thank me; I didn't do it for you."

* * *

It was toward the end of October when Kaiba received his first gift. He had had the misfortune of having his birthday fall on a school day, and when he arrived that morning, he walked into his home room to find a card and a small box on his desk. Setting his attaché case on the floor beside him, he sat down and looked at the card. On the front was a picture of a beagle puppy. With an elegant flick of his wrist, he opened it, bypassing the trite, printed greeting and scanning the line of scrawl at the bottom.

_Happy 18th, Kaiba! Hope it's a good one!_

_Yours, Jounouchi Katsuya_

A hint of a scowl curved the brunet's lips downward, the expression intensifying when he opened the box and found a rather decadent looking chocolate cupcake with a single candle lovingly set in it. `Now what's that idiot up to?' he thought as he got to his feet, scooping everything up in his hands and rather unceremoniously dumping it all into the wastebasket at the front of the room. As soon as he returned to his place, Jounouchi, flanked by Honda and Yugi, came in. Kaiba saw the flicker of hurt in the blond's eyes when he saw his gift in the trash, but soon enough, the brilliant smile was back in place. 

"Not one for sweets, eh, Kaib'? Sorry; I promise I'll do better next time," he said with a small chuckle as he sat down at his desk two rows over.

"Get bent, Jounouchi," came the terse reply.

The blond fell silent for a few moments at that, a somewhat benign smile on his face as he gazed at the stoic brunet. "It's ok, Kaiba…I know what you really mean."

The taller teen didn't reply to Jounouchi other than to snort contemptuously before pulling out one of his textbooks and starting to read. Although he never showed it, he couldn't help the slightly discomfited feeling that washed over him when he felt Jounouchi's eyes on him, the amber gaze not once wavering. Not even when classes began and the sensei began to instruct.

That feeling only intensified as they rolled into November. Jounouchi's rather blatant infatuation with Kaiba was unnerving. Not only did the brunet find some sort of card, or note, or small gift on his desk every Monday morning, but Jounouchi was becoming more and more overt with his staring. Initially, the blond would hurriedly look away whenever Kaiba would glance over at him, but now, he'd let his soft, golden gaze linger, often meeting the icy sapphire. Then, he'd give the brunet a coy smile and lazily turn his attention to the front of the room. This game, as Kaiba perceived it, was beginning to infuriate the hell out of him, and things came to a head in mid-November. As the bell rang for lunch, the brunet gathered up his belongings and headed into the hallway. Spying the blond, he grabbed Jounouchi by his lapels – much to the surprise of Yugi and Honda – and proceeded to drag him, quite forcefully, to the closest bathroom. Kaiba kicked open the door and shoved the blond inside, startling a couple of freshmen who were in the process of using the facilities. "Get out," he snapped at them, only half watching them scurry away as he laid into Jounouchi. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded crossly, giving the blond a push and backing him up into the row of sinks.

"Fuck, Kaiba, I don't know what you're talking about!" Jounouchi retorted hotly as he caught his balance and tried to straighten out his clothing.

"The hell you don't!" he snarled. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but stop staring at me all day every day. It's beginning to piss me off."

A slow grin spread across the blond's face. "But, I like looking at you. You're obviously the best looking guy in the school. Besides," he added with a casual shrug. "It's a free country. I can look at whatever I want to."

Seto felt his blood pressure ratchet up another notch as he glowered at the shorter teen, his lips pressed into a thin, angry line. "Don't screw with me, Jounouchi," he hissed, his eyes narrowed slightly. Moving closer to the blond, he stood nearly toe-to-toe with him and looked down at him menacingly.

Jou's cheeks pinked slightly at the proximity of the brunet, and as he caught the scent of the other's cologne, he felt his pulse quicken and had to bite back the moan that threatened to escape. "I'm being sincere, Kaiba; I'm not screwing with you!" he replied, flushing darker as he thought about just how much he really _would_ like to.

"Just stop it. Quit staring at me, and quit leaving me those stupid notes and gifts. I don't appreciate them, or you. You're just wasting your time and money." A cruel smirk settled on his lips as he added, "And from the looks of you, it's obvious you can't really afford it."

This time, Jounouchi's flush was one of embarrassment, and he dropped his gaze to the floor as he felt a lance of pain through his heart. As he heard Kaiba's retreating footsteps, he murmured quietly, "You're just afraid to admit it. I know you'll come around yet."

* * *

The winter break was looking to be most productive. Kaiba had sequestered himself in his office and was trying to catch up on some KaibaCorp related business so that he could free himself up for the New Year's holiday. He had promised Mokuba that they would do something together to celebrate. Stretching lithely in his office chair, he glanced over at his now empty coffee mug. Getting to his feet, he decided that it was about time for a refill, and he made his way to the kitchen where the pot sat waiting for him. He took a sip and headed back to his office, only to pause outside the door as a frown creased his brow. He heard Mokuba's laughter float up to him from the den, along with a very familiar (and most unwelcome) voice.  
Scowling, he altered course for his younger brother's location, an irritated growl in his throat when he saw Jounouchi sitting on the couch with the younger boy.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Kaiba demanded brusquely.

Mokuba looked up, slightly startled by his brother's question. "Jou came by to visit us, Nii-sama," the young teen replied, beaming up at the blond. "He brought gifts for us!"

"Did he now?" the brunet stated sourly, his cool gaze slowly drifting over to the blond. "We don't celebrate Christmas."

"Nii-sama! That's so rude!" the raven-haired boy muttered under his breath, and only Jounouchi heard it.

"It's ok, Squirt," the blond said as he ruffled Mokuba's hair. "I didn't think you guys did, but my family does – well, we _used_ to. We haven't really since Mom and Shi-chan moved out after the divorce, and…" He trailed off with a slight flush and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I saw nothing wrong with bringing my friends a little present. There isn't, is there?" His eyes were soft and pleading as he stared into the cold sapphire.

Kaiba's frown deepened, but he saw the rapt expression on Mokuba's face, and with a slight sneer he said. "I suppose there isn't. So, leave whatever it is and get lost."

"Come on, Seto! Can't Jou stay and visit for a while? We're having a lot of fun, and it'll leave you free to do your work. _Please_?" the younger Kaiba wheedled.

"Fine; whatever. I don't care. I'll be in my office."

At that, Jounouchi beamed, reaching into his backpack and pulling out two packages, handing one to Mokuba. "Don't be such a Scrooge, Kaib'!" he chuckled as he handed the brunet a long, flat package. "At least open your present first," he said with a grin. "Who knows; you may actually like it this time."

"Oh wow, Jou! This is awesome!" the raven-haired boy exclaimed, having already torn the wrappings off his gift to reveal a copy of `Zombie Slayers 4' for his game system.

"Yeah, I remember you telling me that you were thinking of getting it, but that it's been backordered for months. I talked to `Togi about it, and he snagged me one from the production floor. I guess sometimes it pays to be the best friend of the publisher's boyfriend, ne?" he said with a small wink, completely missing the irritated growl from the brunet.

"You totally rock, Jou! Thanks so much! If I'd have known you celebrated, I'd have gotten you something," Mokuba said, still engrossed in the packaging.

"Hey, I wanted to get you guys something. I wasn't expecting anything in return, so don't worry about it, ok?" the fair-haired teen replied.

"We hadn't planned on `worrying about it'," Kaiba replied snarkily, narrowing his eyes in warning at the `look' Mokuba shot him. "I'm serious; take your gift back. I don't want anything." To his credit, he did manage to bite back the `from you'.

The blond did his best to keep the disappointment from his voice. "Like I said, Kaib', don't worry about it. I want you to have it," he said quietly. "Please?"

"Whatever." Without another word, Kaiba unwrapped the package and slid the long, narrow box out of the paper. Inside was a thin, elegant letter opener made of stainless steel, a rather elaborately carved pewter dragon wrapped possessively around the hilt. It was obviously quite expensive, and the brunet arched an eyebrow as he looked over at the blond.

"It's a letter opener," Jounouchi stated.

"I can see that!" Kaiba snapped impatiently. "Why the hell would you buy me a letter opener?"

"You're always working so much, so I thought I'd get you something you could use while you're at the office; something to help you remember me."

"And why would I want to do that?" the brunet asked with a cruel smile, chuckling softly at the barely perceptible widening of the blond's eyes.

After a moment, Jounouchi had once again composed himself. "Very funny, Kaib'!" he replied with a grin. "I know you're just messing around. Besides, somehow I know I've already made myself quite memorable, ne?" His grin widened. "So, do you like it?"

"It's quite attractive; thank you," he said coolly as he set both box and gift on the end table. Turning on his heel, he headed for the doorway. "Thank you for your…thoughtfulness," the brunet continued, not bothering to turn around. "It was most unexpected. In return, you may stay for dinner, if you'd like."

"No shit?"

Kaiba made a face – both at the comment and Mokuba's subsequent giggle. This time, he did turn around as he glared at the blond. "Yes, I'm serious."

Jounouchi's smile was so wide, his face looked like it might split in two. "I'd love to! Thanks, Kaib'! You couldn't have given me a better gift! Merry Christmas!"

The brunet merely snorted in annoyance as he left the room.

* * *

As January wore on, Jounouchi made himself more at home around the Kaiba's. Quite frequently, the elder sibling would come home to find the blond and his brother engaged in some epic video game battle, or sitting together on the couch watching movies or cartoons. More often than not, Kaiba would simply give the two of them a grunt of acknowledgement, and would then cloister himself in his office until he was certain that the blond had gone home.

On one particular January evening, the brunet had not been so fortunate. Before he could disappear for the night, Mokuba had cornered him and told him that they were having a special meal that evening, and that Jounouchi would be joining them. Kaiba had sighed in annoyance, but had grudgingly agreed – Mokuba didn't ask him for much, and despite the personal inconvenience he felt about the whole situation, he figured he owed his brother at least that consideration.

The meal itself was relatively uneventful. Other than Jounouchi placing his chair uncomfortably close to Kaiba – the brunet sourly thought that at that point the blond may as well have been sitting in his lap – the fair-haired teen had not pestered him while they ate. Instead, he had engaged Mokuba in inane conversation about video games, the Yugi-tachi, and the latest happenings down at the arcade. After dessert, Mokuba excused himself to go and do his homework, leaving the two older teens alone. Jounouchi didn't say anything; rather, he merely turned toward Kaiba and smiled benignly at him.

"Well, it's getting late," the brunet said after a moment as he glanced down at his watch. The time was 7:00. "You should probably go home; I'm sure you've got homework to do, too." The hint was anything but subtle, and he hoped that the blond would get it.

"Nope; I finished it all," Jou replied proudly. "I wanted to have a free evening. It's my birthday, you know."

"Is it?" Kaiba remarked dryly. "Well, congratulations on staying out of prison for another year. I'm sure your friends are waiting to do something to help you celebrate – something mindless and immature, no doubt."

"Nope," the blond answered again, ignoring the barb. He pinked slightly, but he pressed on, having obviously planned out what he had wanted to say. "Aren't you curious about what I wished for?" he asked as he leaned slightly closer to the other teen, his voice taking on a decidedly sultry tone. "You know, because I _do_ get a birthday wish…"

"I don't know. A life?" the brunet quipped.

"No. I wished for you, Kaiba. I can't explain it, but I like you. I mean, I _really_ like you…I mean, I –" He leaned even closer, his body nearly touching the taller teen's by this point. "God, you're gorgeous," he breathed as he stared into the deep, sapphire depths. Taking a deep breath, he blurted, "I love you, Kaiba Seto. I have for some time now. And I…I'm giving myself to you, body, mind and soul."

Upon hearing that, Kaiba couldn't keep the smirk from his face. "You _love_ me?" he repeated, the smirk widening. Unable to contain himself any longer, he burst out in a cold, cruel bark of laughter. "As if I'd ever want a mutt like you!"

Jounouchi's face fell slightly, but despite the sadness in his eyes, a hint of a smile remained on his lips. "I know we're meant to be together, Kaiba, and even if you don't think so now, I'll prove myself to you. I'll show you that I'm worthy of being loved by you. I know I don't hold a candle to you when it comes to looks or smarts, but I know there's something about me you must like. And I'll wait forever if I have to for you to figure out what it is." He leaned back a bit in his chair, giving the brunet a look that was part wounded, part hopeful, and part sensual.

"Jesus," Kaiba snorted. "I didn't think you could look any stupider, but with that dumbass expression on your face, you're well on your way to proving me wrong," he stated. "Honestly, I don't think `forever' is quite long enough…"

His smile widening slightly, Jounouchi got to his feet. "Thanks for dinner, Kaiba. It was fun." Leaning down, he brushed a soft kiss across the brunet's lips, his own expression morphing into a full-blown grin when Kaiba's only reaction was a slight widening of his eyes. Knowing he wasn't about to be killed for his brazenness, the blond hurried to the foyer and slipped on his shoes. As he grabbed his coat and headed for the door, he could hear the other stirring, and he chuckled softly when he heard the sound of a few dishes being broken – obviously having met their demise upon contact with one of the dining room walls. `Just stop fighting it, Kaib'…we'll both be a lot happier,' he thought as he stepped out into the chilly night air, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Over the course of the next three weeks, Kaiba was given no opportunity to forget Jounouchi's latest `revelation'. The blond never passed up a chance to tell the brunet how attractive he was, or how much he admired him, or, whenever they happened to find themselves momentarily alone, how much he loved him. Kaiba was becoming increasingly irritated as time went on. He tried ignoring the blond's advances. He tried feigning apathy with his appearance, only to have the other teen comment on how much he `liked the change'. He even toyed with the idea of getting a restraining order against Jounouchi, but eventually decided against it. First off, the blond's actions were personally annoying to him, but certainly weren't of a level to warrant a protective order. Second, he could certainly handle an obnoxious pest; it would be somewhat humiliating to have to resort to the courts to deal with such an insignificant problem. He wasn't even entirely convinced that simply beating some sense into the other would do any good – Jounouchi was obviously smitten, and he only hoped that the blond would cease and desist sooner rather than later. But, until that glorious day came, the only thing he _could_ do was attempt to dissuade Jounouchi, and make sure that the blond didn't slip up in public – that would surely be a PR disaster.

Kaiba showed Herculean restraint throughout the beginning of February. Jounouchi's `love notes' increased in number from weekly to daily, and at least three times a week, he could expect to see the blond over at his house playing games with Mokuba – at his younger brother's invitation no less. After that first `kiss', the brunet had been exceedingly careful about letting Jounouchi get too close to him, and he would forcefully push the other away whenever he felt that the blond was committing an invasion of his personal space.  
However, even he was unable to control himself when Valentine's Day came around. Not only had Jounouchi arranged for a rather scantily dressed cupid to arrive during homeroom to deliver a singing proclamation of love – complete with guitar accompaniment – from his `not-so-secret admirer', but he'd also arranged for a dozen red roses to arrive at lunch time, delivered by a person in a chibi puppy costume, when the cafeteria was literally _packed_ with students. Growling low in his throat, he had very blatantly shoved the flowers back at the costumed individual, turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, intent on signing himself out of classes for the remainder of the day.

The afternoon was uneventful, and spending it at KaibaCorp, he had completed a great deal of work. Pleased with his progress, he had called Mokuba shortly after 6:00, and had told him that they could go to the arcade for a while. After assuring his brother that yes, he would meet him in front of the building in twenty minutes, he hung up and headed downstairs. Seeing that it was a clear, cool night, Kaiba made his way outside, enjoying the quiet stillness of the evening. No one was around, and he indulged in a lithe stretch, a small, genuine smile on his face. When he was done, he folded his arms across his chest and watched for his car. His brother should be there at any moment.

He heard a `click', and then felt something hard and unyielding press into the small of his back. Despite the heavy coat he wore, he knew exactly what the object was and he slowly held up his hands. "My wallet is in my right back pocket," Kaiba said quietly, his voice cool.

"I don't want your money," his assailant hissed, his voice slightly raspy.

"No?"

"No. I want something more from you, now. I want your life in exchange for ruining mine."

The brunet's lips curved down in a scowl when he realized he was dealing with a nutcase. "And what is it I've supposedly done to you?"

"Oh, that's fucking perfect; you don't even remember me," the voice sneered. "Turn around…slowly."

Kaiba complied with the request, both eyebrows shooting up when he saw a man in his late twenties with short cropped black hair and dark, accusing eyes. He recognized him as one of the engineers he'd personally terminated off a project – and from KaibaCorp itself – citing inefficiency, lack of productivity, incompetence and unethical business practices. "Maori Seito."

"Yes," the raven-haired man hissed. " _I_ was the one who brought the department's transgressions to the attention of Human Resources. They assured me that nothing untoward would happen to me, that you would respect my integrity for coming forward and alerting you to such a thing. And yet, after reading the reports and analysing the data, you let me go with everyone else, lumping me into that same category. You didn't even acknowledge me. And now, because of you, I can't even get a job in the field. References always show that I was terminated for undesirable behaviour. Well you know what, _Kaiba-sama_? Since I'm already such a piece of shit, I think I'll do myself a favour and rid myself of the bane of my existence."

The brunet's eyes narrowed slightly, and he chuckled softly as he listened to Maori's rant.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" the man shouted, backhanding the brunet across the mouth with the barrel of his gun, a hint of a smirk on his lips when he saw the blood trickling down the teen's chin.

"Oh, it most certainly is," Kaiba sneered, his eyes dark and hate-filled as he gazed at the other. Leaning over slightly, he spat a mouthful of crimson onto the sidewalk as elegantly as he could, and then licked his bottom lip. He could feel the cut from where his teeth had bit into the flesh. "For your information, yes, I knew that you had come forward with news of the department's misdeeds. And, might I add, you were just as involved in illicit activity as your colleagues – you just chose a different avenue to explore. You see, not one to simply take someone at their word, I arranged for my own, thorough investigation. It turned out that while they were selling technology to my competitors, _you_ were quietly leaking information to the press about many different projects, and using the resulting shifts in stock prices to make a decent profit for yourself. Don't insult me and tell me that I ruined your life. You ruined your own." Kaiba paused for a moment to expel another mouthful of blood. "As for your altruism, nobody in business does anything for free. Now that I've heard your pathetic story, I think the reason you were being so `helpful' was that you were trying to shift the focus away from you so that you could continue to play your little stock game without fear of being caught." The brunet chuckled again when Maori paled slightly, his eyes wide in surprise. "It would seem that I was quite correct to terminate you for the reasons I did."

"Shut up!" the raven-haired man shrieked, backing up a half-step and pointing his pistol at the teen's face. "Just…die!"

Kaiba saw a flash of gold and heard the shot, but despite Maori's proximity to him, the round missed. When he looked over, he saw Jounouchi straddling the other man, the gun sitting about three feet away from the pair as they sparred on the ground. Piecing together what had happened, it was obvious that the blond had been nearby, and had tackled the disgruntled former employee before he could fire.

"You'd better not have hurt him, you psychotic fuck!" Jou seethed as he fought the older man, who was trying desperately to defend himself from the blond's attack. "I swear to God, I'll kill you myself if you have!"

"Please! Let me go!" Maori begged, his face soon becoming a mess of blood and bruises. He began to choke on the blood running down his throat, but still, Jounouchi refused to cede – even after the man had gone unconscious.

By this time, a small crowd was gathering around them, all of them hearing Jounouchi's irate ranting and watching him pummel the lifeless man. Kaiba knew that the situation was rapidly turning from bad to worse, and as he grabbed the blond by the back of his collar and forcibly yanked him from Maori's body, he pulled out his cell phone and made three calls in rapid succession – one for an ambulance, one to his press secretary, and one to his attorney. Only when he was finished with that did he release his hold on the scruff of Jounouchi's neck, and he gave the shorter teen a slight shove away from him.

The blond turned around, his liquid amber eyes meeting the cold, furious sapphire. Feeling his blood turn to ice under the hateful glare, he forced his suddenly-dry mouth to form the words he felt he needed to say. Reaching out to touch the bruise that was starting to appear on the brunet's cheek, he whispered, "Kaiba, I –"

"Jounouchi, just shut up," Kaiba growled tersely, grabbing the blond's wrist and flinging it away from him. "You have no idea the trouble you've just caused me, and as much as I hate the idea, it looks like we're now in this together. For your sake, you'd better hope that this can be smoothed over, or I'll make you regret it for the rest of your days." He saw his limo arrive, and snatching his briefcase, he climbed into the backseat, slamming the car door behind him and silently fuming while he waited for the police and the press to arrive.

Outside, still on the sidewalk, Jounouchi watched the retreating form as it disappeared from his view. And, when the door closed, leaving him effectively all alone, the blond slowly sank numbly to his knees on the concrete, his head bowed, tears of guilt, shame and loneliness sliding down his cheeks.


	3. Consequences

Kaiba let out an aggravated sigh as he looked out the window and then grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-bar in the back of his limo. They were only a couple of kilometres from their destination, and his head was now throbbing. If he had thought those five months dealing with Jounouchi's infatuation had been bad, they were nothing compared to the three months that had followed:

It had turned out that Maori hadn't needed the ambulance after all. By the time the paramedics had arrived, the raven-haired man had already succumbed to his injuries, having choked to death on his own blood. Kaiba himself hadn't been that broken up by the man's untimely demise. He had figured that Maori had earned everything he had received, and then some, for what he had done – in both his professional conduct, and in attempting to satisfy his personal vendetta. Unfortunately, the late Maori Seito's wife saw the situation differently. His widow had made a point of coming to see Kaiba, her nine-month old baby boy in tow, and had demanded KaibaCorp give her some sort of compensation since it was the brunet's callous attitude that had caused this all to happen in the first place. Initially, Kaiba had laughed her out of his office, telling her that he in no way was responsible for her husband's unethical behaviour, and to keep dreaming as he had security remove her from the building. However, a few days later, under advisement from both his legal department and his press secretary, he had finally agreed to a fairly generous financial settlement – with the stipulation that she could never talk to the media, have a book published, or have any films made about the event. The young woman had only seen the large figure in front of her, and had not considered future royalties, and had readily signed the contract. The money itself had been pocket change to Kaiba, and he was more than happy to never have to hear mention of the Maori family ever again – even if his victory felt bittersweet.

The press had had a field day with the whole event. When they had first arrived on the scene, they had seen the obviously distraught Jounouchi, and to the paparazzi, it was media gold. Pictures here snapped and film clips were made, everyone speculating on just what Kaiba's relationship was with the young, attractive blond. Jounouchi remained uncharacteristically silent during the whole thing. He barely moved from where he sat and refused to speak – even when microphones and recording devices were shoved in his face. It was only when Kaiba's press secretary, Nishimira Ichiro, arrived and spoke to the fair-haired teen that the blond permitted himself to be led to the car, where he was ushered inside by the kind-faced middle aged gentleman. That night, the brunet refused to even acknowledge the blond's presence as he sat across from him, and he spoke to his press secretary as though Jounouchi wasn't even there. He outright insulted the blond, calling him names that were far more demeaning and degrading than any he'd ever uttered before, and he didn't pull any punches when he, in no uncertain terms, expressed his extreme displeasure over the whole situation. In the end, Nishimira and Kaiba agreed that the story the media would get was that Jounouchi was just a good citizen that happened to be in the right place at the right time. As Kaiba had so heartlessly put it, "He means absolutely nothing to me."

Upon hearing that proclamation, the blond had become even more hysterical. Mokuba, too, had been beside himself. He had never heard his brother speak so mercilessly, and given the countless events they had endured over the years, the younger teen honestly hadn't thought that this particular incident was the most severe. But, he had had enough sense to not question the brunet. Instead, he had slid from his brother's side and had gratefully hugged Jounouchi, thanking him profusely, albeit quietly, for saving Seto's life. The blond had then wrapped his arms around the raven-haired teen and had drawn him into a tight embrace, clinging to him as though his very existence depended on having the support of a Kaiba.

The police and Kaiba's lawyer arrived at the same time, and after conducting a preliminary investigation, the detectives arrested Jounouchi, charging him with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Maori Seito. As the police led the handcuffed blond away to the waiting cruiser, the brunet had instructed his attorney to handle the blond's case, citing that he didn't want to appear completely ungrateful for what Jounouchi had done for him. Through his tear-streaked eyes, the blond had given Kaiba a small smile, sagging in relief against the seat when Kaiba kept his gaze and simply stared wordlessly back at him. Silently thanking the taller teen for helping him get through this, Jounouchi had felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had faith that, despite how he acted outwardly, the brunet would do his best to take care of things.

Unfortunately, the evidence against the blond had been quite damning. Witness statements revealed that they had heard Maori ask Jounouchi to stop, and that he had only done so when Kaiba had forcibly removed him from the other man. The self-defence argument was immediately rejected – as soon as Maori had gone unconscious, Jounouchi should have ceased his attack. Fortunately, the prosecution had taken pity on the young blond and had offered him a deal. Rather than the ten years Jounouchi would likely have received if the case had gone to trial, they had offered a reduced time of five years, with the opportunity for parole in three. Further to that, they had been willing to let him serve his period of incarceration at a local, minimum security prison rather than at the federal penitentiary. Knowing that they would never get the case dismissed, and feeling that the offer had been quite generous, Jounouchi's lawyer had agreed to the terms presented, citing that the action was, in fact, a crime of passion, and claiming that yes, Jou had acted irrationally in anger when he saw the brunet's life in danger.

In the time leading up to the sentencing, Jounouchi had been very blasé about the whole thing. The only question he would ever ask his lawyer was, "What does Kaiba think?" and he would agree or object to a particular course of action based on the resulting answer. Kaiba had made sure he was kept abreast of what was going on with respect to the blond, and on a few occasions, he and Mokuba had stopped by the detention centre to visit with him. The conversations were always the same – first, well-wishes were passed on via the raven-haired teen from Yugi and Honda, then Jou and Mokuba would discuss the latest happenings in the world of video games, and then the young boy would run off to get a snack from the vending machine, leaving the two older teens alone to talk. Kaiba would indifferently ask Jounouchi how his studies were coming, and the blond would report back that with nothing else to do, he was showing a significant improvement in his grades, and would definitely be graduating at the end of the semester. Finally, Jounouchi would once again thank the brunet for the wonderful lawyer before soulfully telling him about how sorry he was that his impulsiveness had caused such a mess, but that he'd do it all over again in a heartbeat if the situation arose. He would then shyly tell Kaiba about how he often thought of him, and that he still loved him, and that he would often fall asleep with images of his beautiful, blue eyes in his mind. 

While all this had been going on, Kaiba had once again been the main focus of the press. The media had speculated on why the cold, calculating CEO had provided his own personal attorney for someone he claimed to have no affiliation for. They had tried to get private interviews with Jounouchi about his `relationship' with either of the Kaiba brothers, dangling fat compensation cheques in front of him in exchange for the `exclusive rights' – all of which were refused. News vans had camped out in front of the local jail, various reporters and newsmen all craning their necks through the windows when Kaiba had stopped by, hoping to catch a glimpse of something sordid going on behind closed doors. Again, rumours had circulated through the airwaves and via print. Some suggested that the two were secret lovers, others indicated that maybe there was something illicit going on. The conspiracy theorists hypothesized that Jounouchi was a trigger man, and that Maori's death had been planned all along. At any rate, Kaiba felt like he had personally dealt with every hack with a pen and a camera within a fifty mile radius, and finally, he had secured a gag order to quiet the paparazzi and give him a little peace.

The sentencing hearing had been set for May 23rd. Given the fact that the blond had already served nearly three months while waiting for the backlog of cases to clear, it had been agreed to by both sides that whatever sentence the blond received, it would be reduced by that amount of time – if he served the full term of his imprisonment. The judge presiding over the sentencing had read the plea bargain submitted by the prosecution and, after talking briefly with Jounouchi, had agreed that since this was his first conviction, a bit of leniency was in order. That afternoon, Jounouchi had been moved from his cell at the local jail and taken to the minimum security facility just outside of Domino.

Jounouchi's friends had been outraged when they had heard the verdict. Honda had, of course, been the most vocal about the outcome, and had called the brunet every name under the sun for not doing everything in his power to get the blond set free – after all, as he had been quick to point out, Kaiba had managed to avoid any charges when he had assaulted the senior Jounouchi back in September.

Jounouchi had immediately jumped to Kaiba's defence, staunchly maintaining that the two situations were nothing alike, and that if it hadn't been for the blue-eyed brunet's assistance, he would be going away for an even longer time. Letting his amber gaze catch the deep sapphire, Kaiba had seen the love, adoration and dedication swirling in the golden depths. Jounouchi had maintained eye contact with the tall brunet as they had led him away in handcuffs, never once letting it waver to his friends or to anyone else. And though he'd never go to visit him, for the next three years, Kaiba would be haunted by that intense, piercing gaze that had been solely for him.

* * *

Kaiba blinked in the bright sunlight that streamed in through the now opened door of his limo. His driver stood there, expressionless, giving no indication as to how long, exactly, he had been waiting for his employer to get out of the vehicle. Grabbing his attaché, Kaiba made his way up the steps to the courthouse and entered the building. It didn't take him long to find the appropriate room, and with a slight nod to the bailiff standing guard outside, he quietly slipped inside and took a seat at the back of the room, just as the Parole Commission chairman was bringing the room to order. He could see Honda, Otogi, Yugi, Anzu and Ryou seated near the front, a few rows back from where Jounouchi and his attorney sat. Honda had his arm draped loosely around Otogi's shoulders, and the other three sat slightly away from them, their postures stiff as they nervously clutched each other's hands. With a wry smirk, he supposed that Anzu was likely on the verge of tears – if not already crying. He had not really seen them, save for Otogi at various business functions, since their graduation three years ago. Yugi was a little taller, and when he turned slightly to whisper something to Otogi, Kaiba could see that he had lost that young, innocent look. Honda looked a little stockier and more filled out in the shoulders, while Anzu and Ryou seemed to be more or less the same as he remembered them. Kaiba's eyes then shifted to Jounouchi. The mane of blond hair was still the same, but he, too, had grown broader in the shoulders, his arms now well-muscled and much more defined than they had been. From where he sat, he couldn't see the blond's face, and he silently hoped that Jounouchi hadn't developed the hardened face of a convict – or worse, his father. He recognized that the fair-haired teen had always been attractive. Seto supposed that if things had turned out differently, Jounouchi probably could have enjoyed success as a model.

"At this time, I'd like to convene this hearing. My name is Chief Justice Watanabe Seiichiro, and this is Justice Fukazawa Kensen and Justice Oshiro Matsuko. We've all read the reports submitted to us, and believe that this hearing will be rather brief. Jounouchi Katsuya, you were convicted three years ago for killing a man named Maori Seito. At that time, it was determined that this was not a premeditated act, and was done in the heat of the moment to spare another individual from egregious harm. You were given a reduced sentence as part of a plea bargain struck with the prosecution. I ask you now, given the leniency you've been shown by the justice system up to this point, why should this board consider you for parole?"

The blond cleared his throat as he got to his feet. "Watanabe-sensei, I know that I've been given a lot of chances throughout this whole process," he began, his voice soft, but still the same lilting alto that Kaiba remembered. "I really am sorry for what happened to Maori, but at the time, I didn't know what I was doing. I mean, yeah, I knew I was fighting with him, but I really didn't mean to kill him. I had no idea I was capable of that. All I remember was seeing him with a gun to Se…Kaiba-san's face, and he was getting ready to pull the trigger. I was running solely on instinct, and knew that I had to make sure he wouldn't hurt him. At the time, I thought I was doing a good thing, but now I know that I caused a lot of grief for Maori-san's family, and a lot of unnecessary scandal and embarrassment for Kaiba-san."

"You say that you regret your actions, Jounouchi-san," Fukazawa interjected. "Tell me; if you were presented with the same situation, how would you act?"

At the question, Jounouchi dropped his gaze to the table top. "I like to think that if I saw a similar situation, I would react in the same way in that I'd try to stop the person. But, I think that I would be able to better control myself the next time and not let my emotions take over like that. I've taken some anger management counselling to help me make sure that nothing like that ever happens again. Morimoto-sensei told me that she's pleased with how I've progressed through the treatment, and has submitted a report on my behalf attesting to that. She feels that now, I would exercise restraint and proper judgment."

"Yes, we saw Morimoto-sensei's report. It was very thorough and compelling," Watanabe replied. "Did you take this counselling on your own, or were you instructed to?"

"No, I asked for it. I thought it would help me."

The three panel members exchanged glances, obviously impressed with the blond's initiative. "What else have you done while you've been incarcerated?" Oshiro asked.

"In the time that I've been locked up, I've been working really hard to make sure that when I'm released, I'll be a good person. You know, a valuable member of society? You know that I finished my high school diploma – I even finished with a higher grade point average than I had going in. Then, I took some college courses by correspondence, and I completed a welding and a small engine repair program. Also, I've been a model inmate – the warden even chose me to head up a bunch of projects. I think he submitted a letter to you, too."

Again, Watanabe nodded. "Yes, we did receive the letter from Yamamoto-san. He couldn't say enough good things about you. Based on what we've seen and heard, this commission believes that you are essentially a good person, Jounouchi-san. You just exercised some bad judgment and have been paying the price for your carelessness. It's unfortunate that incarceration was the method by which you learned your lesson; however, your performance has shown beyond a reasonable doubt that you are genuinely remorseful for what happened, and you have made many efforts to improve yourself through education and self-help programs. We only have one concern, and that is the fact that you don't seem to have any plans in place for employment or accommodations upon release." He paused, flipping through his paperwork to see if any late motions had been filed. "No, I'm sorry; no arrangements have been made. So, unless there is someone here who is willing to speak on your behalf and convince this commission that there are such elements in place, we will regrettably have to deny your request."

The blond's shoulders slumped slightly. He had been so close to freedom, so close to finally getting out and going to see the Kaiba brothers. Mokuba had answered nearly all of his weekly letters, promising that as soon as he was free, they could start hanging out again. Strangely enough, he was less enthused about seeing his other friends. Honda had called him foolish for chasing after Kaiba all these years, and despite Jou's claims to the contrary, he still blamed the blue-eyed brunet for the blond's recent problems. Yugi had been more forgiving, but claimed that Jounouchi had been an unwitting victim of his unrequited infatuation. A small, sad smile settled on the blond's lips as he thought about how amazingly unsupportive his friends had been throughout everything. Had they bothered to listen to him instead of simply dismissing him as stupid and trying to make his decisions for him, they would have understood just how it was that he loved Kaiba Seto. With a resigned sigh, he opened his mouth to tell the board that he would accept their decision, but before he could form the first word, he heard the familiar tenor that he had been aching to hear for so long, and his heart soared with joy.

"I will speak on his behalf."

Kaiba ignored the surprised looks on the faces of the Yugi-tachi, and deliberately avoided making eye contact with the blond as the bailiff led him to the front of the room and swore him in. Taking the seat offered to him, he finally permitted himself to satisfy his curiosity, and he met Jounouchi's gaze. The blond's face was slightly gaunter, and he had dark circles under his eyes, but the sparkling amber was just as lively and vibrant as he had remembered. He, too, had aged well – which was a feat in itself considering where he had been for the past three years.

"For the record, would you please state your name and occupation?" Watanabe asked.

"Kaiba Seto, president and CEO of KaibaCorp," the brunet replied smoothly, his eyes never leaving the blond's.

"And how is it that you know the prisoner?"

"He and I were…acquaintances throughout high school. He was the one who saved my life."

"Do you consider yourself a good judge of his character?" Fukazawa asked him.

"I do. He is trustworthy, loyal, dedicated and honest. He is also one of the more persistent people I know," Kaiba stated, unable to keep the imperious smirk from curving up his lips.

"And do you feel you can guarantee adequate employment and housing for him if he were to be released today?" Oshiro asked, giving a slight chuckle when he saw the incredulous look the brunet gave him. "My apologies, Kaiba-san; they're standard questions that must be asked. Please answer it."

"Yes, I do. There is a position in the shipping and receiving department at KaibaCorp that pays well enough for Jounouchi to support himself. In addition, I have a townhouse available that is within walking distance to our main branch, so transportation would not be a problem. I should think that six months would be adequate time for Jounouchi to set aside enough money to find his own accommodations after that. I can have the necessary documentation delivered to you within the hour." 

"Yes, that would be acceptable. Thank you." Watanabe excused Kaiba, and then the three justices bowed their heads together to confer briefly. The brunet's expression turned to a scowl as he passed by Honda and company, and when the hazel-eyed brunet growled at him and gave him the finger, Kaiba merely responded with a contemptuous snort. He settled back into his seat, his eyes once again seeking out the blond. Jounouchi was half-turned in his chair and beaming adoringly at him. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, the brunet gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement, and then folded his arms across his chest and leaned back slightly to await the verdict. It wasn't long in coming.

Watanabe-sensei stood, and motioned for the blond to do the same. "Jounouchi Katsuya, based on your conduct while incarcerated, your own testimony, the character references in your file, and the assurances of Kaiba Seto, this tribunal is pleased to grant you parole. You will meet your parole officer upon your return to the prison facility, and will complete the outtake procedures. Provided the documentation we receive from Kaiba-san is satisfactory and there are no complications, you can expect to be discharged by 6:00 this evening. I thank the commission members for their time. This board now stands in recess."

If he were capable, Jounouchi would have floated from the courtroom as he was led away, his smile dazzlingly brilliant as he gave a look of complete and utter gratitude to Kaiba.

The brunet remained where he was as the room slowly emptied out, losing himself momentarily in his own thoughts. He felt a presence at his side, and when he glanced up, he saw Honda standing there. "What do you want?" he demanded, his tone somewhat brusque.

"I still don't like you, Kaiba, and I don't trust you for as far as I can throw you, but…maybe you're not that bad. Thanks for helping Jounouchi out up there."

The blue-eyed brunet got to his feet, a nasty smirk on his face as he glared down at the slightly shorter man. "I've _never_ liked you, Honda, and I still think you're a waste of a human being." He grabbed his briefcase and edged past the other into the aisle. "And don't thank me; I had my reasons. Your contentment wasn't one of them." Narrowing his eyes, he looked at the time. He had several things to prepare before this evening. And soon, everything would be back in its proper order.


	4. Effect

Jounouchi Katsuya was officially released from prison at 5:55 that evening. As he walked through the imposing metal gates, he was somewhat surprised, but extremely pleased, to see Seto there waiting for him. The stoic brunet had driven himself, and was currently leaning against the passenger side door of his black BMW Z4 convertible, his arms folded loosely across his chest, his posture casual, but still intimidating. He had changed out of his business suit and was now dressed in black slacks and a black button-down shirt, a lightweight navy blue trench coat over top. The blond paused about ten feet away from him, his small duffle clutched tightly in his hand, his head cocked to the side as he stared at the other man. "Hi, Kaiba," Jou began, his voice tentative, hesitant. "Are you here to…what are you doing here?"

"I should think it was quite obvious," the brunet replied as he gracefully pushed himself upright and made his way to where the other man stood. 

Jounouchi swallowed harshly as he looked up into the dark, sapphire eyes, momentarily losing himself in them. Suddenly, he gave his head a small shake as if to clear it and stammered, "Wh-where's…er, how's Mokuba?"

"Mokuba's at home…studying." He gave the fair-haired man an enigmatic smile. "You know that he's nearly seventeen now, ne? I think he's alright to be left alone for a while; don't you?" Taking the duffle from the blond's hand, he opened the trunk and deposited the bag inside. As he headed around to the driver's side and opened the door, he saw that Jounouchi was still standing in the same place, gaping at him. "Well? Are you going to stand there all night, or are you coming with me?"

The question jolted him from his stupor. Without another word, the blond hurried over to the car and slid into the passenger seat. After doing up his seatbelt, he ran his fingers gently, almost reverently, across the polished dash. "It's nice," he said after a moment. "I never expected I'd be riding in one of your cars at your invitation."

"Oh?" The brunet arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you think differently of me now after three years?" Kaiba looked at him expectantly, his hand resting lightly on the gearshift.

Jounouchi felt his heart start to hammer in his chest as a faint blush crept across his cheeks. "N-no…It's just that…" A coy smile broke out across his face. "I just didn't think you'd ever think differently of me. I mean, I'd always hoped, but…" He trailed off, pinking further and clearing his throat. "So, where are we going?"

"Are you hungry?" Kaiba saw the small nod. "What do you want to have?"

"I could really go for a good bacon double cheeseburger, and some fries…"

Kaiba looked at him in disbelief. "You've been in prison for the past three years, and the first thing you want to eat is a burger?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "Hey, Burger World makes the best I've ever eaten. And besides, I don't like all that fancy shit like lobster, and pâté, and snails. I'm a really simple guy."

The brunet smirked at that, barely managing to suppress the obvious retort. "All right then," he said with a soft chuckle. "Burger World it is." He pulled out onto the street, and headed back to town.

"Hey Kaib'," the blond said after a moment, reaching out and resting his hand on the other's arm. He relaxed a bit when he saw the taller man look down at his sleeve, but make no effort to shake off the touch. "Not for nothing, but…do you think we could…maybe…get it to go? I just can't…I don't feel like I want to be out in public tonight, you know?"

Kaiba nodded. "If that's what you want." He reached into the pocket of his trench coat and handed the blond his cell phone. "Call directory assistance and get the telephone number. Then, call Burger World and order whatever you want for yourself, and then choose something for me that you think I'd like. Then, tell them we'll be by to pick it up shortly." 

Jounouchi did as he'd been asked to, and after hanging up the phone, he looked up at the brunet for a few moments, nervously worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. Finally, he took a deep breath and, holding it, he gradually inched his hand along Kaiba's forearm, moving ever lower until he was able to twine their fingers together. The taller man didn't look over at him or even acknowledge what he had done, and after a few seconds had passed, Jounouchi slowly exhaled, delighting in the feel of the cool, slim fingers against his own heated skin. "God, I've missed you," he murmured quietly as he brazenly leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across the brunet's knuckles before settling back in his seat, cradling the other's hand against his chest. Within five minutes, he had dozed off, a contented smile on his lips.

As soon as he felt Jounouchi's grip relax, Kaiba carefully extracted his hand, returning it to the gearshift. He drove in silence, leaving the blond to his nap, an amused smirk on his lips. He didn't bother to wake the sleeping man when he stopped outside the restaurant, and it wasn't until the smell of food had infiltrated the shorter male's senses that he awoke.

"Damn, Kaib', I'm sorry for nodding off like that. You should have woken me up," the blond murmured through a yawn as he turned around slightly in his seat and snagged the chocolate milkshake the other had brought for him.

"And why would I have done that? Your body obviously felt it needed the rest," the brunet stated coolly as he reached over and wiped a daub of chocolate from the corner of the shorter man's mouth with the pad of his thumb. He absently licked the drop before starting the car again and pulling out into traffic.

Jounouchi pinked in pleasure at the casually intimate contact before he curled up further in his seat and sipped at his treat. After a few moments, he looked out the window and asked, "So, where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to your townhouse. I'm sure you have things you need to get in order. After all, you do have to work on Monday morning, you know."

"Oh, yeah…right." The blond fell silent again, and then asked, "But, are you…I mean, you're going to stay for a little while, ne? At least to eat dinner with me, right?"

The corners of Kaiba's mouth curved up ever so slightly. "I had planned on it; that was why I got you to order something for me, too." He gave the other a brief glance out of the corner of his eye before he returned his attention to the road.

Jounouchi caught the look, and his heart gave another little, excited flutter as he smiled around his straw. "Thanks, Kaib'. I really don't want to be alone tonight." The blond pinked slightly, but didn't elaborate. As he gazed at the brunet's profile, which been imprinted on his memory years ago, he silently wondered if the taller man would recognize the implied invitation, and hopefully, take him up on it. "You look really good," he said after a moment. "Still as gorgeous as I remember you, only even more so now."

Kaiba's grip tightened imperceptibly on the wheel, and he briefly clenched his jaw as his eyes narrowed slightly. "Thank you," he replied. "You, too, have aged well."

"You think so?" Jou asked, obviously pleased. "I didn't think you'd ever paid attention."

"Jounouchi, I'm not blind."

The blond's grin widened. "Well, how come you've never said anything then?"

Kaiba smirked as he pulled into the driveway and shut off the ignition. "Because, it's not what I do." Gracefully, he slid out of his seat and grabbed the bags from the backseat as he passed the cardboard tray with the drinks in it to the blond. "I'm particular about handing out compliments, and when I do, I'm not going to waste them on something so ridiculous." He paused, a small scowl on his face when he saw an unmistakable figure silhouetted on the front porch. He figured that the rest of Jou's friends were undoubtedly not too far away. "Speaking of things that are a waste…"

Jounouchi turned, following the brunet's gaze, his own eyes widening in surprise. "Hon'? What're you doing here?"

The stocky brunet hopped down off the front porch and made his way over to his friend, a slightly awkward smile on his face. "Hey bud!" he greeted as he pulled the blond into a strong, but slightly forced, one-armed hug. "I just wanted to stop by and see my pal now that he's back on the outside." He glanced down at the tray Jounouchi was carrying, and then his hazel eyes flicked briefly over to Kaiba. "What's the deal with him?" he asked, nodding his head curtly toward the other dark-haired male.

Jou's cheeks pinked slightly at the question, and a goofy smile settled on his face. "Kaiba came to pick me up when I was released, and then he bought me dinner."

The fin-haired male's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Yeah, he's just an all-round good guy, isn't he? Hey, way to spend the big bucks there, Kaiba," Honda said tartly.

The blue-eyed brunet narrowed his eyes, but before he could offer a retort, Jounouchi interjected, "Hey, Honda, it's cool. This was what I asked for. Honest. Kaiba told me I could pick whatever I wanted."

"Oh," Honda replied, seemingly unconvinced by the blond's sincerity. "Well, eat up. We were all hoping to take you out tonight, just like old times." His face morphed into a lopsided grin. "Come on; `Togi knows this awesome club. You'd love it."

"Is that so? How considerate," Kaiba stated as he grabbed the duffle bag from the trunk. "You didn't think that maybe, on his first night out, Jounouchi might simply prefer a quiet evening to reacquaint himself with things? Oh, but then again, you and your group have never been that in tune with what Jounouchi says, hearing only what you want to…"

"Fuck off, Kaiba; I don't remember talking to you," Honda replied heatedly. "Besides, like you're a fucking expert. You lost all right to say anything three years ago when you did nothing."

"Whatever," the taller brunet drawled as he closed the trunk. "I did a lot more than all of his so-called `friends' combined. Don't blame me for your own failings and shortcomings." Turning to the blond, he said tersely, "I have better things to do than argue with a stupid monkey. Jounouchi, whenever you're done dealing with Magilla Gorilla here, your dinner will be waiting." Growling out a low, "Loser," as he passed the other brunet, Kaiba headed toward the house, unlocked the door and set everything inside. Then, he went to the far corner of the porch and pulled out his cell phone, giving the other two their privacy, yet still keeping an eye on what was going on, his cold, sapphire gaze fixed firmly on the fin-haired man.

"God, he's such an _asshole_!" Honda groused. "I can't believe you're actually hanging around with that dick."

"Kaiba's right, though," the blond said quietly. "I really _don't_ feel like going out tonight. That's why I asked him if we could just get our food to go. Come on, Hon'…we'll have other nights to go out and do stuff like that, ne?"

"Fuck, I can't believe you're sticking up for him, too," the fin-haired brunet replied, obviously annoyed. "I don't trust him, Jou…I know you like him and all, but I can't forget the way he's treated you over the past few years."

"Hon', he's treated me better than most people. And he's helped me out when no one else would. You haven't been around him like I have – he wouldn't have done all those things for me if he truly hated me. Besides, none of us have really seen him since I've been…well, you know." A slight flush of embarrassment coloured his cheeks. "But, tonight…he's been so sweet to me. I mean, he didn't _have_ to come and get me, but he did. And then, in the car he…" Jou trailed off, pinking further as he recalled the way he'd fallen asleep holding Kaiba's hand. "Well, never mind." He wasn't the type to kiss and tell – figuratively speaking.

Honda sighed, seemingly put out by the change of plans. "All right then…I'll go grab the guys; we can get some food, too, and come over and –"

"No," the blond interrupted, smiling sheepishly when Honda arched an eyebrow at him. "Come on, man," he explained quietly. "You know that if all you guys come over, Kaiba'll leave."

"Yeah, so what?" the hazel-eyed man replied brusquely. "That wouldn't be a bad thing in my opinion. Good riddance."

Jounouchi's expression darkened at that, and his lips curved down slightly into a scowl. "And maybe that's why he's never liked hanging around with us, because you and the other guys always act like dickheads!" the blond retorted hotly as he gave his friend a none-too-gentle shove in the shoulder. His amber eyes narrowing slightly, he said evenly, "I've already decided that I'm hanging out with Kaiba tonight, for as long as he'll stay. I don't know what the hell's wrong with you, but if you're going to be an ass, then I think I'd rather be alone."

"God damn, you're even starting to _sound_ like him! Fuck…you want to be alone, Jou? Then fine! But when you're lonely, and your friends aren't around, don't come crying to me, because you'll have just what you wanted, ne? Have a nice life." Honda turned away and stalked off down the driveway, his hands jammed angrily into the pockets of his coat. For a moment, Jounouchi debated going after him, but chose instead to let him go. Like the blond, Honda was overly emotional and highly irrational when upset, and any efforts on Jou's part would likely be met with a fist. He'd track him down later and they'd talk in the morning, after both of them had cooled off some. Giving a displeased snort and a dismissive wave of his hand, the blond, too, turned his back on his friend and made his way up to the porch.

"Everything alright?" Kaiba asked casually as he leaned against the porch railing, his expression shadowed by the waning twilight.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Jounouchi said shortly as he gave another huff of impatience. "Hon's just being a dick, that's all." He shook his head to clear it, and then looked up at the brunet. "But, I really don't want to talk about it any more. Is that all right?"

Kaiba nodded. "More than all right. The less I have to think about that group, the more I like it." He crossed over to the door and opened it, and then pressed the key into Jounouchi's hand as the blond crossed the threshold. "We keep this place for executives who are temporarily assigned to the Domino offices from overseas. It's fully furnished, so until you can find your own apartment, it should do quite nicely for you."

Jounouchi flicked on the living room light, and let out a surprised gasp. As a description, `fully furnished' did not do the place justice. The room was done in creamy beiges and dark, warm browns, and the leather furniture was nicer than anything the blond had ever seen – save for what Kaiba had at his own home. "Holy shit," he breathed as he looked around, and then as a wide grin settled on his face, he hurriedly toed off his shoes and explored the rest of the house, finding the kitchen, the bathroom, and his bedroom. "Fuck,   
Kaib', that kitchen is _gorgeous_ , and probably as big as my old apartment was! God, I can't believe this is really for me!"

The brunet smirked. "Well, technically, it's not _for_ you, but rather, it's on loan to you."

The blond shook his head. "Either way, it's way nicer than anything I've ever had, and way more than I'd expected." Giving the taller man a tremulous smile, Jounouchi suddenly flung himself at the other, hugging him tightly about the waist. "Thanks for everything, Kaiba."

Kaiba's smirk widened. "You don't have to thank me," he stated simply.

* * *

The taller man was not that surprised to see that Jounouchi had retained his voracious appetite. Not only had the other man eaten everything he'd ordered for himself, but he'd also devoured most of Kaiba's onion rings, and half of his burger. "Did they not feed you at all in there?" he asked with wry amusement.

"Shut up," Jou replied with a smile as he polished off the last bite of Kaiba's sandwich, and then took a large drink of his soda. He glanced at the apple turnover that was sitting on the coffee table, and then coyly looked up at the brunet through his long, golden lashes. He shifted his position to prop himself up more fully on his knees, and as he gazed into the dark sapphire, his cheeks pinked slightly. "I think I've changed my mind about dessert," he said in a quiet, slightly sultry voice.

"Oh? Are you finally full?" the taller man asked as he uncrossed his legs, and then crossed them again with the other on top. He kept his eyes locked with the heated amber, refusing to cede to the intense stare. Kaiba knew he was being assessed, and he almost felt as if he were being challenged in a way. Confrontation always excited him, and this time, he decided to indulge himself. A slow smirk spread across his face as he watched the other fidget nervously.

Seeing the change in the brunet's expression, Jou suddenly felt extremely awkward, and he dropped his gaze to his lap, completely missing the triumphant gleam in the other's eyes. "Yeah, I think I want something else instead," he murmured softly. Before he could change his mind, he leaned up and brushed a kiss across the other's cheek, his own face heating further when he felt Kaiba shift slightly, turning more toward him.

"That's twice tonight," the taller man said, a slightly put-out edge to his words. "And both times, you've given me these wishy-washy, half-assed things. If you're going to kiss me, at least do it properly, or don't bother. It's insulting." Before Jounouchi could say anything, Kaiba had grasped both of the blond's cheeks in his hands and had crushed his lips to the other's, his tongue lightly skating along his bottom one, demanding entrance to his mouth. He felt the fair-haired man gasp in surprise, and Kaiba capitalized upon the opportunity presented to thrust his tongue inside the moist heat and fervently explore every dip and surface.

At first, Jounouchi tensed nervously, a little bit frightened by the brunet's suddenly aggressive behaviour. But, after a moment, he relaxed, melting against the other, a soft groan escaping his lips, his hands grasping the taller man's shirt wantonly, his fingers curling around the fine material of the garment. "Oh God, Seto…" he moaned, oblivious to his use of the other's given name, his amber eyes half-glazed and slightly unfocused. Panting softly he murmured, "Please, don't tease me. I want…I _need_ more…"

Wordlessly, Kaiba tugged off Jounouchi's t-shirt, moving so that he was straddling the blond's lap as he slid his hands down to the small of Jou's back, his lips, teeth and tongue kissing their way along the fair-haired man's slender neck to find purchase on his collarbone. There, he worked his mark feverishly, purring softly in his throat when he tasted the salty tang of blood, and freeing one hand, he brushed the pad of his thumb across a pert pink nipple, and then rasped his nails down the blond's chest, chuckling darkly at the half-pleasured, half-pained hiss he tore from Jounouchi. He lifted his head and met the smaller man's gaze, his own eyes a dark indigo with lust. "Are you absolutely sure that this is what you want?" the brunet asked, his voice gruff and slightly tremulous, his breathing harsh as he maintained a tenuous hold on his self-control.

The blond met that intense, hungry stare and nearly came in his pants as his arousal spiked even higher. His eyes sank closed for a moment, and he moaned again when he smelled Kaiba's cologne mixed with his own arousal. He slowly licked his lips, savouring the lingering taste of the brunet on his skin. He felt his cock throb painfully against the restricting material of his jeans, and he could feel the other's substantial length pressing against his stomach. He swallowed harshly, and then slowly blinked his eyes back open. "Oh fuck, Set', I've never been more sure about anything in my life. _Please_."

At that, Kaiba leaned forward to roughly kiss the other man, only to slink to his feet a moment later and tug the other up beside him. Grabbing him by the wrists and walking backwards, he manoeuvred them both around the furniture and other obstacles, leading the blond to the bedroom. 

This room, too, was done in a neutral colour scheme, only this time with greys and blacks, and was comfortably appointed. Jounouchi barely paid any attention to the décor, as he was currently delighting in the feel of the brunet's tongue down his throat and the weight of that hard, lithe body pressed against him, pinning him to the wall. Growing bolder, the blond began working the buttons on Kaiba's shirt when the other released his hold to toy with Jou's nipples before beginning to make a similar mark on the other side of the shorter man's throat. The blond purred with desire, dropping his head back to give the taller man more room, only to cry out in pleasure when Kaiba bit him hard enough to break the skin on his shoulder. His fingers trembled as he managed to get the last two buttons undone, and he groaned appreciatively as he pushed the garment from the brunet's shoulders and let his hands explore the taut, pale skin.

Kaiba shrugged out of his shirt, and as it fell to the floor, he began working at the button on Jounouchi's jeans, easily thumbing it open and pushing both pants and boxers down over his slim hips in one smooth motion. He waited until the blond had kicked them off, and then wrapped his arms around Jou's waist to carry him over to the bed. Dropping him onto the centre of the mattress, Kaiba made quick work of his own trousers. Eyeing the fair-haired man with a carnal gleam in his eye, he crawled predatorily to where Jounouchi lay and, capturing the already kiss-swollen lips with his own, he grasped the smaller man's shaft in his hand and began pumping him with long, quick strokes.

"Ah, fuck, Set'!" the blond rasped as he dropped his head back and arched slightly off the bed. Swallowing harshly, he concentrated on the talented hand working his cock. He was already beyond aroused, and he knew it wouldn't be long before the brunet brought him to completion. Suddenly, he felt a familiar tightening in his belly, and with a cry of, "God, I love you," he came, his seed pulsing in creamy spurts across the other's fist and dripping down onto his stomach. His eyes fell closed, and with a blissful smile on his face, he tried to get his breathing back under control, only to have them snap open as a keening moan of pleasure escaped him. The other had inserted two come-slicked fingers deep inside of him and was relentlessly assaulting his prostate. The brunet's touch was far from tender, but he was sending wave after wave of pleasure through the blond's body, and Jounouchi was losing himself in his ecstasy. It wasn't long before he was once again painfully hard, his cock dripping with precome as he writhed under Kaiba's expert touch. Tears of need welling in his eyes, he reached out and stroked his fingers along the brunet's cheeks. "Set', please… I need to feel you in me. I need you to complete me." Jounouchi pinked slightly. "I kept myself…pure, just for you, you know."

For a moment, Kaiba paused, and he looked as though he was having second thoughts. But then he gave the blond a small smile as he pulled his fingers free. "Get on your hands and knees," he instructed gruffly, letting out a soft growl as he coated his own rigid shaft with the rest of the blond's come. 

Jounouchi's cock twitched at the authoritative command, and without another word, he rolled over onto his stomach, leaning forward onto his forearms as he parted his legs and thrust his ass up into the air, totally exposing himself to the other. Shyly, he glanced over his shoulder and watched the brunet, giving his behind a small wiggle to let him know he was ready.

Kaiba moved in between the blond's knees, the fingers of one hand caressing down Jounouchi's spine while the other trailed over his hip, both of them eventually slipping down and cupping the firm globes of his ass. Feeling his arousal spiking, he rested one hand firmly on the smaller man's side, while he used the other to line the tip of his engorged cock up with Jounouchi's hole. Snapping his hips forward, he buried himself to the hilt in that tight heat, his head dropping back as a carnal growl was torn from his throat.

The blond cried out loudly as he was forcefully filled, a few tears escaping his eyes from both the pain and from the sense of finally being completed. After a few moments, the burning subsided, and he hurriedly wiped the moisture from his face, turning again and giving the brunet a tremulous smile. "God, I love you so much," he murmured. "I finally feel whole in heart, body and soul." He turned back to his pillow, a blissful smile on his face.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curving upward in the tiniest hint of a smirk. Grasping onto Jounouchi's hips tightly, he began a hard, deep, quick rhythm, pulling the blond back against him with every thrust he made forward. As he felt his pleasure rising, he let his eyes fall closed, his lips pulled back in a wanton grimace as he purred hungrily.

Jounouchi arched his back further, loosing a long, low moan when the slight change in position caused the brunet's cock to brush against his prostate. "God, Set' more!" he murmured, his hand sliding back to stroke his own weeping shaft in time with Kaiba's rhythm. "Ahh, God…So close…" He felt the taller man shift slightly and drive in deeper, and then his vision exploded in an array of colour before flashing bright white. The brunet's name left Jounouchi's lips in a pleasured cry, followed by a string of incoherent babbling as he came hard, his arms and legs trembling beneath him from the force of his release.

Kaiba groaned appreciatively when he felt the blond's passage grow impossibly tighter, the muscles gripping his cock as he pounded into Jounouchi's ass. Finally, with one last, hard thrust, he pulsed his release deep inside the other, his fingers digging into the blond's hips with a bruising grip, his head dropped back as he loosed a carnal roar of completion. As he came down from his plateau, his sapphire eyes were sharp, a cool smile on his lips. Chuckling darkly, he pulled his spent member free and then moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Holy shit, that was amazing," Jounouchi said breathlessly as he knelt behind the brunet and placed a soft kiss on his shoulder. "Not only are you the most gorgeous man I know, but you're incredible in bed. God Set', I love you so much…" He slid his arms around the taller man's waist and rested his head against his back, only to blink in surprise when Kaiba got to his feet. "Hey, Set'? Where're you going?"

"Home," the brunet replied as he retrieved his pants and began pulling them on.

Jounouchi's eyes widened slightly. "Home? But…why? Did I…did I do something wrong?"

"No, you did everything perfectly. Just the way I had predicted you would." Kaiba's voice had a decidedly cruel edge to it.

"Then why won't you stay with me?"

"Because that wasn't part of the agreement."

"Agreement? Set', what are you talking about?"

The brunet smirked coldly as he slipped his shirt back on and began buttoning it up. "It's after midnight, Cinderella. Yesterday, I gave you everything that you wanted – your freedom, my attention, and anything else you asked for. Your reduced sentence was supposed to have been my repayment for your actions, but it didn't feel like it was adequate – and I didn't want you to think I thought so little of my own life. So, for the past three years, I've been thinking about it, and I've been loathing the fact that I owed you _anything_. I'd say we're even, ne?"

Jounouchi felt like he was going to be sick. "Set', you can't mean that!" he said incredulously. "We're supposed to be together! I know you love me! You…you're the one who helped me in the first place! You saved me from my old man. You've always been there for me! Even when I was in legal trouble, you helped me! You even made love to me! Jesus, Seto… I love you!"

Kaiba snorted contemptuously, a sneer on his face. "I don't know what colour the sky is in your little fantasy world, Jounouchi, but I'm not your knight in shining armour. I helped you because you're a brainless idiot that was too dumb to help himself, and because _Mokuba_ asked me to, not for any other reason. And, like I told you the first time you said you loved me, I don't love you at all. You're loyal to the point of blind stupidity, reasonably good looking, and a decent fuck, but otherwise, you're useless to me." His gaze narrowed in sadistic pleasure and his smile grew colder when he saw the tears welling up in the other's eyes. "Now that my debt has been repaid, I see no further reason for the two of us to be in contact any more, except as may, on occasion, be demanded by the nature of your job. And that means stay the hell away from my brother, too. Believe me, you don't want to make an enemy of me like your no-good loser of a father did." He paused in the doorway. "I'd say see you around, but I wouldn't really mean it. Good bye, Jounouchi."

The last thing the blond saw that night was the image of the gorgeous brunet, the one he had loved unconditionally, the one he would have done anything for, closing the door behind him with a resounding finality. For several moments, Jou sat in stunned silence, the harshness of Kaiba's words running over and over in his mind. Finally, with a wailing sob, he threw himself at his pillow, naked, cold and alone, as his whole world came crashing down on him.


	5. Epilogue

Despite the sweltering August sun, Jounouchi felt cold as he stood there on the grassy knoll in his lightweight black cotton suit. With a heavy sigh, he squeezed the hand that was twined with his, forcing his attention back to the priest. He wasn't really listening to the old man drone on and on; he found the words trite and lacking, the voice condescending and patronizing. He almost felt it was somewhat insulting to the memory of the man he loved more than anything. He let his eyes slowly travel over the gathered crowd, loosing a contemptuous snort when he saw all the phoney sympathy and crocodile tears as colleagues and associates alike nodded solemnly along with the eulogy. Finally, after he heard the closing remarks, he turned to the raven-haired teen who stood beside him. "Mokuba, I'm so sorry about your brother." He gave the younger male a small smile. "But, you're seventeen now, and I know that he's been preparing you for this kind of thing for a while." He gave a humourless chuckle. "Not much of a consolation, is it?"

Mokuba, who was now slightly taller than Jounouchi, smiled in return as he slipped his hand free from the blond's grasp and swiped surreptitiously at his eyes. Although he wore the same expressions as his older brother, he was far less skilled at masking his feelings. "I know what you mean, Jou," he said quietly, his voice slightly raspy. "I'm sorry, too…but for you." He saw the curious look on the other's face, and before Jounouchi could interject, he held up a hand to stop him. "Over the past couple of months, Seto really seemed to be coming around. First, there was that whole thing with your job, and then he invited you to my birthday party, and God, I've lost count of the number of times he'd wake up in the middle of the night and call your name, like he was looking for you." The dark-haired teen's face turned slightly more sombre. "I want you to know that even though what he did to you that night was a horrible thing, he didn't hate you."

Jounouchi sighed. "Yeah, Kiddo, I know. I think even that night, despite everything that happened, I knew," he replied. "He wouldn't have done anything for me at all if he had – even with your wheedling. You're good, but if he really wanted to put his foot down, I'd bet you'd have had a hell of a fight." A strange smile curved across his lips. "And, truth be told, it wasn't _all_ horrible…" He gave the other male a lewd wink, and then chuckled softly when Mokuba gave him a nudge.

"No, I bet it wasn't. But, Seto was far too stubborn for his own good, and too unwilling to trust his emotions. If you ask me, I think that for as strong as he was in everything else, he was afraid of his feelings for you. And that's why he acted like he did. I like to think that sooner or later, he'd have acknowledged them." 

Amber eyes glistened slightly as the blond nodded, secretly knowing that Mokuba had no idea how correct his assessment truly was. "Yeah, well…" He trailed off, unsure of really what to say in response.

The raven-haired teen winced slightly, and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Jou. I know that this is pretty hard for both of us." He glanced around, and saw that most of the people had already departed. "I'm surprised that Yugi and the others didn't come."

"I'm not. Honda was pretty pissed about the whole thing, and what with me being an ex-con and all, things never really were the same between me and the guys anyway. I guess I kind of grew apart from them during those three years I was away. Or they decided that they really were better than me." Jounouchi shrugged non-committally. "It happens."

"Don't say shit like that!" Mokuba replied crossly, his look very reminiscent of the glacial one Seto had often given Jou after the fair-haired one had said something foolish. "Let them think whatever the hell they want to, but let me tell you, I don't hang around with worthless people, and have never been permitted to." His expression softened and he smiled when he saw the blond pink. "You're my friend, Jou, and a great person. If those guys are too stupid to realize that, then…fuck `em." He grinned at the quirked eyebrow his statement earned. "Hey, I learned from the best," he said with a wink as he clapped Jou amicably on the shoulder. "You're going to come by the house for the wake, ne? Please? I need at least one person among all the business contacts and stodgy stockholders to keep me sane!"

Jou nodded. "Yeah, I'll be right behind you. I promise." Giving the younger male a brotherly hug, he watched him walk toward his car – the Z4 – and then made his way across the now-deserted lawn to Seto's plot. Disregarding his suit, he sat down cross-legged on the grass, facing the stone, and then he reached out his hand and lightly traced the engraved letters. "You did a good job with him, Set'. The kid knows you a lot better than you think he did." He smiled softly. "And he was right. You were afraid to admit that you were really in love with a worthless mutt like me, weren't you? Shit, that must have given you nightmares for a while," he added with a sheepish chuckle. "God, I can't even begin to tell you how much you hurt me that night. But, despite how much it felt like you'd stomped all over my heart, I _knew_ you didn't hate me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hate you, either. I never told you this, but the next morning, I did catch up with Honda, and he was quite smug about the whole thing. It was one `I told you so' too many for me, and after the two of us beat the shit out of each other, we pretty much went our separate ways. And the rest of the guys, well, they followed Honda." He sighed, and picked a sprig of clover from the grass, absently twirling the small plant between his thumb and index finger. "Now that I was pretty much alone, I decided that one way or another, I was going to prove to you that I was worthy of your affection. It's funny…I remember at the hearing you told the judges that I was one of the most persistent people you knew. Bet you hadn't counted on that, ne?" He chuckled wryly. "Persistence, ambition and obsession; quite the combination. You must have been quite shocked when you got my application to transfer to the secretarial pool after only two weeks in shipping and receiving. The look on your face when you gave me that typing and dictation test was priceless. See, the warden liked me, so he let me do a lot of that kind of shit while everyone else was scrubbing toilets or raking leaves. And who knew? It turned out that I had kind of a knack for it. See? The mutt can be trained to be a `viable member of society'. You were actually starting to look at me with a sort of quasi-respect, even." 

Jou's eyes darkened, and he crumpled the clover in his fist. "And then that bitch showed up and ruined everything. Maori's wife, whining about how she'd nearly spent all the money you'd given her, and that her baka son cried every night about how much he missed his dada. Oh, boo fucking hoo! Give me a fucking break; the kid wouldn't have even remembered him, let alone known how to miss him. I was glad when you more or less told her to fuck off. Too bad she happened to see me on her way out…God, I guess I fucked things up again for you, ne? Greedy slut went running right to the press about how KaibaCorp hired murderers, and how you had screwed her over, and since it was a completely different incident, she got around the terms of your contract. Jesus, the press pisses me off – like a swarm of vultures, they found you, and again, all the shit from the past was dragged up. And I don't know whether it was the stress or what, but rather than trust me to help you through it this time, you once again shut me out. Fuck, Set', that was no way to live. For either of us."

The blond paused for a moment, looking up at the sky and watching the great, puffy clouds drift by for a few minutes. "I knew she was going to be a pain in your ass as soon as you paid her off the first time. Her attitude reminded me of my old man's. No matter how much you give someone like that, they're never satisfied, and will keep coming back again and again and again until they bleed you dry. That's why I got rid of her for you." He turned his gaze back to the stone. "It's true, Set'. I strangled her with the strap from that gaudy Diamonelle and gold sequin purse she was always toting around. Then, I took her out to the site for that new fifty-storey skyscraper they're building. They had all the excavations done for the footings, so I dumped her in the hole, and the next morning, they just filled `er up." He chuckled quietly. "It was Honda's dad's company – I worked for them for a couple of summers – and those guys _never_ check – too fucking lazy. Like I would give a shit if they had, anyway. But, now that the concrete's been poured, I guess they won't find her until they decide to demolish the place, ne?" He shifted slightly, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. "At least Mokuba won't have to worry about her sleazy ass coming around and bugging him."

Again, Jounouchi sighed. "The police are still trying to solve your murder, you know. They figured that with all this shit in the news about Maori, some psycho had decided to `avenge the rights of the disgruntled worker' and pull a copycat job. Shit Set', a 9mm round to the chest. Death was pretty much instant, they said." He snorted humourlessly and swiped at his eyes. "Cops are so fucking useless. What the hell do they know? You survived for a good ten minutes in my arms. But, you know and I both know that there was no way I could have made it a copycat crime – that would have meant shooting you in the face. And you know how gorgeous I've always thought you were." He smiled sadly. "God, you used to get so pissed at me for saying that. I really don't know why you hated your looks so much. Was it because you felt guilty about being so beautiful? Or was it because whenever you heard those compliments, you were reminded of me? I never meant to make you feel bad, you know. I just wanted you to know that I appreciated you for you, not for your money or any of that other crap. I just wanted you to be Seto." The blond couldn't stop the tears that were streaming down his face now. "I'm sorry that it came to that, Set'. But, like I said, I couldn't take it any more when you just wouldn't let me in. At least, not until the very end. Even though your voice was so quiet, I heard you whisper to me. I heard it clear as day. You finally, _finally_ told me the truth – that you loved me. And yeah, sure, I took that Maori bitch out of the picture, but I know that there would have been others. Fuck, it was just easier this way. You had everything in the world, but you would never permit yourself to be happy. I bet it's peaceful and quiet where you are now though, ne?"

After a few more moments, he managed to stop the deluge, got to his feet and dusted himself off. "It's pretty nice here. Kind of shady, good view of the ocean, far enough away from the road… You know, I found a better use for that money I'd been saving up for my apartment. I invested in some real estate." He glanced over at the vacant area next to Seto's grave, and absently murmured, "You'd probably like it. It's pretty nice…kind of shady, good view of the ocean, far enough away from the road…" Jou glanced down at his watch, and then said, "Well, I promised your brother I'd stop by, and then I've got a few other things I need to do, but I'll be back." He thought about the 9mm pistol that was currently locked away in the centre drawer of his desk, and he smirked. He had had a rerifling done on the barrel two days ago, and no ballistics expert would ever match his gun to the one used to kill Seto. He leaned over, and placed a soft kiss on the top of the stone, and then turned to where his car was parked. With a strange smile on his face, he murmured quietly, "See Seto? I told you that we were meant to be together forever. And soon, Love, we will be."


End file.
